The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-08-16
DECORATED BY HER STATE.
Why Brave Kate Shelley Wears a
Well-Worn Gold Medal.


he,oportViIie pa Letter 10 Pittsb'trg Dispatch
To-day, at the house of q mutual friend. l
met nineteenth century heroine-a young
girl who wears upon her breast massive
gold medal that was presented to her by the
Legislature of tho State of Iowa some years
ago as mark Of its appreciation of her
wonderful courage and presence of mind.
Tall, erect and we'll proportioned, with her
dark bright eyes, rosy cheeks and clearly
cut features forming "A charming picture OF
strong, true American womanhood, Kate
Shelley, of Boone Ia, is a girl that any
father of any State might be proud of. She
is to-day % years old, but she was only 10
when, by an act of daring bravery, she won
the admiration and gratitude of the people
of her native State and made her name
famous among them.
About dark on July 6, 1881, wind and
rain storm of unparalleled severity burst
over Kate Shelley's home in the country,
near Honey Creek The Des Moines river
rose six feet, and every creek was over its
banks in less than an hour The window of
this girls room commanded a view Of the
Honey Creek railroad bridge Peering out
into the darkness, she saw, by the aid OF the
vivid flashes Of lightning which at frequent
intervals Illuminated the scene, that houses,
barns, fences, lumber and everything porta-
BILE within reach of the food had been car
t'ied away, while the wind swept by with
fearful and ever-increasing velocity, and
tho waters continued quickly and steadily
to rise.
Through the blackness and storm she saw
a locomotive headlight advancing swiftly in
the direction of the bridge which the Hood
had borne away. A second later and the
light suddenly dropped down out OF sight,
and though the roaring of the wind and
W1tpt jmnnSGjhla
hear the frightful crash it must have made
she knew that a train of cars had plunged
into the abyss. There was no one at home
beside herself, save her mother and her lit
tie brother and sister, and she knew that If
help was to be given TO the sufferers
engineer of the express train then
nearly due she must under
take the awful task alone. Throwing an
Old waterproof about her shoulders, and
hastily lighting a lantern, she ventured
forth into the storm. The flood was far
above all roads and pathways to the waters
edge, and she soon realized that it would be
impossible to reach the wreck She must
try some other plan. A steep rocky bluff
led up to the track. She began to ascend it.
With her clothes torn to rags and her flesh
lacerated by the thick growth of bushes, she
at last reached the rails. There was still a
small portion Of the bridge left On her
hands and knees she crawled out on the re-
manning ties to the last one, and holding on
with one hand for her life, she leaned over
the water as far as she could, and waving
her lantern, cried at the top of her voice.
From the black gull below there came in
answer faint accents of the engineer, who
told her it was a freight train that had gone
over and that, though badly injured, he had
saved himself from drowning by crawling
under some broken timbers. He believed
hat Nlh lo,, L. had chA1
and advised her to proceed at once to the
nearest station, warn the approaching ex-
press train of its danger and return with
help for him.
Retracing her steps, the young heroine
was soon fastening along the track with all
the speed she could make against the howl
ing tempest towards MOingona, small sta
tion about one mile from Honey Creek.
Toreach that point she mad to cross the
high treStle bridge over the Des Mones
river, Assistance of 500 feet. Her trembling
foot had scarcely taken its first step upon
the structure when sudden and appalling
burst of thunder, lightning, wind and rain
nearly threw her over into the water and at
the same time extinauiShed her light.
Matches would have been pow
erlesS to relight it in such hurricane,
even if she had them, and she was now un-
able to see even a hands length before her,
except when a vivid flash of lightning re-
vealed the raging waters beneath her or the
dark outline of the swaying bridge to which
she chung. Throwing away her lantern,
this dauutless American girl again dropped
on her hands and knees and thus made her
way through the darkness and storm from
tie to tie over the perilous trestle Reach
ing firm ground again, she soon covered the
short remaining distance to the station,
breathlessly told her story and then fell in
a dead faint at the station agents feet
Succor was hastily dispatched to the suf-
fering engineer in Honey Creek Tele-
grams went flying up and down the line,
notifying the railroad officials that the
bridge was gone.
just one minute after the brave girl had
tainted and while she still lay unconscious,
the express train came rushing in. When
the passengers learned of the awful accident
from which they had been saved by the in
domitable courage Os one fragile girl, loving
hands took her up tenderly, chafed the
torn and bleeding limbs, laved the pallid
face and soon called her back to life again
Then they collected for her a substantial
purse.
When the fame of brave Kate Shelley's
exploit spread throughout her native State
men and women of all classes united to do
her honor Several subscriptions were
started for her benefit, and if money is ever
an adequate recompense for such heroism
she has been well rewarded for her brave
| conduct. The Legislature voted that a
! medal should be given her to commemorate
her daring act and appointed special com
mittee to present it, her heroism being made
the theme of many eloquent speeches.
On the day when she received the medal
from the hands of the Legislative Commit
tee in the town of Boone, Ia, the event
was celebrated in a manner which surpassed
any previous public demonstration held in
| that State. a procession, music, speeches
and banquet were features of the occasion,
on which not only the people of her native
State, but also many distinguished guests
from abroad united to do honor to brave
Kate Shelley